Elections 2018

Opinion

Officials Say 1,500kgs Of Explosives Used In Kabul Truck Bomb

Death toll rises to more than 80 in the deadly truck bombing that ripped through the heart of Kabul early Wednesday morning.

On the fifth day of Ramadan, a sacred month of Muslims around the world, Kabul witnessed a massive explosion which claimed more than 80 lives and wounded more than 400 people – mostly civilians including women and media workers.

Sources said a truck used to empty sewerage tanks had been loaded with 1,500 kgs of explosives.

The incident took place at 8:22am Kabul time in front of the German Embassy and Roshan telecommunications company in Kabul.

The Presidential Palace said in a statement on Wednesday evening that President Ashraf Ghani organized an emergency cabinet session where he directed security institutions to assess the incident and ramp up efforts to ensure the safety of Kabul residents.

He also directed relevant organizations to share information about the incident with the people.

Ghani directed the urban development minister and the Kabul municipality to repair the damaged areas as soon as possible.

Reporting from the blast site 10 hours after the incident, TOLOnews’ Karim Amini said the area had been largely destroyed as a result of the explosion.

Major damage has been inflicted to Roshan Telecommunication Company, the German Embassy, Azizi Bank and a media outlet – all located in the diplomatic district of Kabul – between Zanbaq Circle and 15th Street of Wazir Akbar Khan in Kabul’s PD10.

The transferring of victims to hospitals continued for more than three hours, Karim Amini said.

The blast meanwhile displaced many T-walls which were erected to protect the entrance to the Green Zone in Street 17 of Wazir Akbar Khan.

The explosives-laden truck reportedly tried to enter the Green Zone which houses embassies and other diplomatic offices and residences and the Resolute Support mission compound.

According to Karim Amini, the truck was stopped by security personnel at a checkpoint and when the driver was questioned, he detonated the explosives.

The blast created a huge crater in the road similar to a previous explosion in Kabul including Shah Shaheed blast that claimed dozens of lives.

Meanwhile, reporting from Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, in Kabl’s PD10, TOLOnews’ Anisa Shaheed said many of the blast victims were taken to the hospital including 50 bodies.

She said 20 out of 50 bodies were not recognizable due to burns they suffered in the explosion.

According to her, dozens of families had gathered outside the hospital waiting for news on the condition of their relatives. They criticized government leaders for their inefficiency in terms of preventing such incidents.

Angry crowds had also gathered outside the Emergency Hospital in Shahre Naw in Kabul.

On Wednesday afternoon, a number of Kabul residents also protested close to the scene of the explosion and called for the resignation of the National Unity Government leaders – President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

Wednesday’s attack garnered widespread condemnation from inside the country and abroad.

Officials Say 1,500kgs Of Explosives Used In Kabul Truck Bomb

Death toll rises to more than 80 in the deadly truck bombing that ripped through the heart of Kabul early Wednesday morning.

On the fifth day of Ramadan, a sacred month of Muslims around the world, Kabul witnessed a massive explosion which claimed more than 80 lives and wounded more than 400 people – mostly civilians including women and media workers.

Sources said a truck used to empty sewerage tanks had been loaded with 1,500 kgs of explosives.

The incident took place at 8:22am Kabul time in front of the German Embassy and Roshan telecommunications company in Kabul.

The Presidential Palace said in a statement on Wednesday evening that President Ashraf Ghani organized an emergency cabinet session where he directed security institutions to assess the incident and ramp up efforts to ensure the safety of Kabul residents.

He also directed relevant organizations to share information about the incident with the people.

Ghani directed the urban development minister and the Kabul municipality to repair the damaged areas as soon as possible.

Reporting from the blast site 10 hours after the incident, TOLOnews’ Karim Amini said the area had been largely destroyed as a result of the explosion.

Major damage has been inflicted to Roshan Telecommunication Company, the German Embassy, Azizi Bank and a media outlet – all located in the diplomatic district of Kabul – between Zanbaq Circle and 15th Street of Wazir Akbar Khan in Kabul’s PD10.

The transferring of victims to hospitals continued for more than three hours, Karim Amini said.

The blast meanwhile displaced many T-walls which were erected to protect the entrance to the Green Zone in Street 17 of Wazir Akbar Khan.

The explosives-laden truck reportedly tried to enter the Green Zone which houses embassies and other diplomatic offices and residences and the Resolute Support mission compound.

According to Karim Amini, the truck was stopped by security personnel at a checkpoint and when the driver was questioned, he detonated the explosives.

The blast created a huge crater in the road similar to a previous explosion in Kabul including Shah Shaheed blast that claimed dozens of lives.

Meanwhile, reporting from Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, in Kabl’s PD10, TOLOnews’ Anisa Shaheed said many of the blast victims were taken to the hospital including 50 bodies.

She said 20 out of 50 bodies were not recognizable due to burns they suffered in the explosion.

According to her, dozens of families had gathered outside the hospital waiting for news on the condition of their relatives. They criticized government leaders for their inefficiency in terms of preventing such incidents.

Angry crowds had also gathered outside the Emergency Hospital in Shahre Naw in Kabul.

On Wednesday afternoon, a number of Kabul residents also protested close to the scene of the explosion and called for the resignation of the National Unity Government leaders – President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

Wednesday’s attack garnered widespread condemnation from inside the country and abroad.